Disney’s ‘The Little Mermaid’ Accused of ‘Pretending Slavery Didn’t Exist,’ ‘Whitewashing’ 18th Century Caribbean Slave Trade

Disney’s live-action, multi-racial remake of The Little Mermaid isn’t woke enough for a prominent diversity activist who has slammed the movie for “pretending that slavery didn’t exist.”

He has even accused Disney of  “whitewashing out the difficult parts of our history.”

Marcus Ryder, a British diversity activist who also chairs the prestigious Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, published a blog post this week titled “Disney’s The Little Mermaid, Caribbean Slavery, and Telling the Truth to Children.”

This is why in all my work with broadcasters and beyond I argue that diversity behind the camera is just as important as diversity in front of the camera.
We need both.

— Marcus Ryder MBE (@marcusryder) June 1, 2023